Soccer fields at Broward County Regional Park at Weston bustled with activity -- but were almost as silent as a cemetery. That's because the American Youth Soccer Organization designated Oct. 30 as the region's first Silent Saturday, during which parents and coaches buttoned their lips so young players could unleash their talents. "We wanted the kids to think on their own," said Richard Schwartz, commissioner for the AYSO Weston region. The AYSO gave out about 300 T-shirts to "exemplary supporters," Schwartz said.

Dear Carolyn: I married a man 3 1/2 years ago who has two adult children. The grandchildren are 3, 3, 1 and 4 months. I feel it is disrespectful to have the children call me by my first name. I had a rocky start with his sons. Things are much better now, but I'm not sure if I should say anything or just let it go. It is making it difficult to bond with the children because it bothers me every time they say my name! I'd really like to be their Grandma, but I don't feel like I'm accepted in that role.

Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for eight years. We have two kids. When we argue, he tends to be very impatient and will not allow for "timeouts." He follows me around and corners me, and then I shut down and start the silent treatment. My problem is that he calls his parents every time we have a fight or argument. I told him that it really bothers me that he includes them in our marital problems. He tells me that they are the only people that he feels comfortable talking to and that he trusts them implicitly.

SILENT TREATMENT. Michael Palmer. Bantam. $21.95. 404 pp. Dr. Harry Corbett has been a good doctor for 25 years. A general practitioner in an era of hot-shot specialists, Corbett cares about his patients and works hard to ensure that his care improves their lives. His knowledge of the human body helps him pinpoint troubles that baffle even specialists. And he doesn't care that a G.P.'s salary is less than his colleagues'. Corbett also cares deeply about his wife, Evie, consumer editor of the struggling Manhattan Woman magazine.

MIAMI -- The pregame buildup to the Orange Bowl showdown between Miami and Oklahoma is not going to include a heated oral war. At least not yet. The Sooners, who began prepartion Monday for the New Year`s night game, have made themselves off limits to the press until Saturday. Usually a talkative bunch, the Sooners arrived a week earlier than usual for the Orange Bowl seeking solitude. And that`s what they had Monday during two practice sessions at Tropical Park. Security guards locked the front gate and patrolled the fence around the complex, chasing away several fans attempting to sneak a peek at the Sooners.

Wide receiver Antonio Stanley got the silent treatment during practice. Bethune-Cookman, with a traditional run-oriented offense, came in trying to spread the field with more passing. Offensive players had worked exclusively on perfecting route running to improve the aerial game. But during last week's 30-15 victory against Savannah State, Stanley, a preseason All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference selection and the Wildcats' top target, dropped too many passes. His subpar play forced coach Alvin Wyatt to go back to the running game for the win. Following that game, Wyatt followed the old saying, "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything" regarding Stanley.

George Duenes and Steve Talley were bored, but not for long. Life got really interesting after they got stuck atop a 180-foot cellular phone transmitting tower on Friday night and had to be rescued by firefighters. Now the teen-agers face a misdemeanor trespassing charge. They fear they've been exposed to radiation. And their parents are not amused. "Now that I think back, it was stupid," said Duenes, 19. Shortly after 9 p.m. Friday the pair were walking with friends to a coffeehouse in the 4500 block of North University Drive.

New Year's Eve/morning, 1:45 a.m., Deborah Harry, still with the fabulous face, just a tad overweight, finishes song No. 5 and decides to end the show. After 5 songs? The show that the crowd of 1,500 has each paid $60 to see? Deborah! Come back! Harry Insulted? Perhaps. When Harry took the stage, the enthusiastic throng swarmed the floor and pressed to the edge of the platform. After a long opening segue into Heart of Glass she tried to have a bit of chitchat with the audience members she invited onto the stage.

Dear Miss Manners: I have a friend who has never used words such as "please," "thank you," etc. She will not ask if I can help her with rides. She just comments to others that she will get a ride with me. She offered once to help pay for gas, but never paid up. I feel like I am being used and taken advantage of. I am not the only one, as my sister is also on the receiving end of this treatment. When we pick her up for events, she does not greet us and more often than not gives us the silent treatment for the duration of the ride.

Dear Harlan: I am absolutely consumed by guilt right now. I cheated on my boyfriend last night. I never, ever imagined I'd be capable of such a thing. My boyfriend is amazing, sweet, funny and the best guy I've ever had. He treats me like a princess, and I am crazy about him. The fact that I've done this is killing me. It happened after way too many drinks with a guy I used to date. I was feeling angry and resentful to begin with because my boyfriend is not very good in bed and doesn't seem to care about my satisfaction, while my ex was just the opposite.

If stability was the goal with the return of Pat Riley as coach, the Heat continues to come up short. Not only did point guard Jason Williams miss his seventh consecutive game with tendinitis in his right knee, but the Heat also was without backup center Alonzo Mourning for Tuesday night's game against the Hawks. Mourning arrived to the morning shootaround complaining of flu symptoms. He informed the team in the afternoon he was feeling better, but later called and said he would be unable to play because of what was diagnosed as an upper respiratory infection.

Soccer fields at Broward County Regional Park at Weston bustled with activity -- but were almost as silent as a cemetery. That's because the American Youth Soccer Organization designated Oct. 30 as the region's first Silent Saturday, during which parents and coaches buttoned their lips so young players could unleash their talents. "We wanted the kids to think on their own," said Richard Schwartz, commissioner for the AYSO Weston region. The AYSO gave out about 300 T-shirts to "exemplary supporters," Schwartz said.

Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for eight years. We have two kids. When we argue, he tends to be very impatient and will not allow for "timeouts." He follows me around and corners me, and then I shut down and start the silent treatment. My problem is that he calls his parents every time we have a fight or argument. I told him that it really bothers me that he includes them in our marital problems. He tells me that they are the only people that he feels comfortable talking to and that he trusts them implicitly.

Hi Carolyn: Would you please share any pointers on responding to the Silent Treatment? I acknowledge that my BF prefers not to talk through issues, but refusing to speak to me without telling me why feels like a punishment mechanism. In the past I've sent (unanswered) e-mails with some variation of, "I know you're upset at me and I'd like to work through it, but I can't address the issue if I don't know what it is." Sooner or later he'll start talking to me again, but won't tell me why he stopped initially.